EstLite Coved Box Designer

[Jonny2morsos]

On my two examples I made another cove box from backing board for greater rigidity but this one does need to be fractionally larger for the other to sit in.

[JohnMcafee]

We "spot weld" with dabs of hot glue. And despite what we thought when we first tried this method, the box can be quite easily removed undamaged from the frame if necessary.

(And thanks for all the thanks folks, it is very much appreciated.)

[GUNNAR]

Like John I use a glue gun as well. I also seal the corners and run a bead along the back of the fold of the vgroove. Once the glue sets its a lot more rigid. Not sure what others would think of this, we know I'm not a real framer just a sample maker, but I find it works well

Sarah/Gunnar

[Jayvee]

Put this one up ages ago, but seeing as everyone else is... Three different depths and sized coved boxes!

I used a combo of glue, tapes and flaps to secure the boxes to the front mount, and also some moulding used 'in the box' as struts underneath the coved boxes to help support each, especially the helmet as it was so heavy!

All done with the humblest of tools (logan hand held) and I echo the sentiments, I would hate to do the land rover with just that!!

[AllFramed]

Very neat Jayvee. You can do great work with the hand tools, just takes so much longer...

Hot glue gun works for me and down the cuts on the back as per Gunner. Makes it vert sturdy.

[Ricky]

I would be interested to know about the different methods everyone uses to attach the cove box to the frame?
Thanks.

I'd like to know this too, also is there a Mac version of the cove box program?

[JohnMcafee]

It's a Windows application Ricky, there isn't a Mac version.

[stcstc]

could run it under paralells or bootcamp or something though

[vitalframer]

Any advise on the best method of hanging/fixings for this type of frame given that the cove sticks out of the back beyond the moulding? I would assume you would need to fix to the moudling somehow?

Many thanks......Bob

[JohnMcafee]

We string the back in the normal way, with D rings.

Most of our cove boxes are double skinned.

[DEEPJOY]

I am excited, I'm going to have a play.

[impressive19]

Really useful little programme. As to the fixing of the cove box to the frame, I use a hot glue gun but have also tried silicone sealant which works the same, just allow more time for it to set solid.

[kev@frames]

if its without a mount i simply use flexible points and tape it up.
hot melt works just as well, flumbs permitting.
if it is with a mount I generally hot-melt glue it to the back of the mount then fill the gap between the box edge and frame edge with four morso-mitred pieces of MDF (yes, sorry, I said MDF) use points as normal, and finish it all up with gum tape.

the interesting part is where to put the hanging fittings

not used very often, but very useful tool, btw John.
re double-skinning, I often put an extra layer on the back if they are anything over 20cm or so wide.
cough, usually MDF, and fixed with PVA.

[A3DFramer]

I would have been able to have put this 'Cove Box Designer' software to good use in the early 1980's but then we had a very slow Amstrad, which probably would have had a nervous breakdown with it.

Then, we worked out the patterns by trial and error, and cut out the pieces in hardboard, these were contact-glued onto fabric, cotton velvet or Draylon (offcuts could be bought cheaper than mountcard then). The box was then formed similar to the methods previously described with glue gun, 50mm slug gun that had high delivery rate.

Excess fabric extending from the front face of the box, forms a flange in which a strip-wood frame (about 10mm square) can be bonded with contact adhesive. If these boxes needed to be strengthened for heavier objects/displays a vertical wall was inserted within the frame and back-filled with expanding foam, fittings pop-riveted onto the back of the hard board prior to fixing the fabric was our technique for hanging.

Reading this topic, I would certainly consider using this software as a pattern maker for the above method.

[hank]

Hi there, I'm a mac user, is this software available in a Mac application?

[JohnMcafee]

Only runs on Windows PC.

[The Shed Worker]

WOW, there aren't enough polite expletives to say what I would like to about this - and THANK YOU just doesn't cover it

[John]

Click to download


The zip contains 2 files:
Cove.exe
CutCove.exe

The sole function of CutCove.exe is to provide a link between the Cove Box Desiger and the TruCut (CMC) software. If you do not have a TruCut then it is safe to discard CutCove.exe

[John]

New Coved Box Designer version 1.30 update release.

Cove13.jpg (57 KiB) Viewed 40992 times

New features

1. Having designed and cut the coved box, you can now cut an outer skin that will fit the inner like a glove. Just click the Outer radio button and all of the dimensions of the original box will be tweaked appropriately.
2. The necessary parameters of the cove box design are now automatically loaded into the TruCut software (if that's what you have) leaving the operator with nothing to do apart from load the mountboard and click "Cut".

(Download from the link in the previous post)

[JohnMcafee]

Working on a version of the Cove Box Designer that will calculate the geometry of a box with a sloping base.

Cove.jpg (61.18 KiB) Viewed 39641 times

Drop me a PM if you would like to try it out.